By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Demand for City of Greater Dandenong’s Covid relief support has surged in January.
However, the council does not have supply for a common request from residents – the at-times scarce Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs).
Community services director Martin Fidler said that in January, the council received its third highest number of Covid relief requests since the pandemic started in early 2020.
“This increase in demand aligns with the increase of Omicron cases that were recorded within our municipality at this time.”
In early-mid January, new Covid cases peaked at 878 a day in Greater Dandenong and nearly 5000 a week.
Nearly 600 individual food packs had been delivered to residents so far this year.
Mr Fidler said the RAT distribution program was managed not by the council, but by the South East Public Health Unit within Monash Health and the state health department.
“RATs are distributed to CALD community groups when they meet eligibility criteria.
“Council’s role in this program has been to provide a site where local CALD community groups can meet Monash Health staff to collect them when required.”
Masks were also sometimes requested by residents, Mr Fidler said. They had been donated by local businesses to supply community groups.
“If vulnerable groups are in need they can email Council at covid19@cgd.vic.gov.au and their request will be considered, as there is not an endless supply.”
Mr Fidler didn’t confirm how much the council had spent on Covid relief in the past two years. The cost had been partly offset by the State Government.
According to the council’s 2020-’21 annual report, it spent $664,000 in Covid business grants and $245,000 on material aid relief, as well as waiving facility rents of $822,000.
In its first 12 months, the program distributed up to 3500 food boxes.
As of 4 February, there were 67 new Covid cases and 650 in the past week in Greater Dandenong.
